Locations
Last night, I watched the trailer for the summer release of Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012. “My name is Gideon and I am about to
We have two local leagues that regularly sign up over twenty players for Commander battles, and another couple that fetch a steady eight. Most of the players who throw down at any given location are unique. Some players flip hundred-card creations while they have work off on the weekends; others sign up for Thursday night action so they can spend time at work or with their significant others on the weekend. A few players travel the circuit, but there are as many as sixty to seventy-five different players signing up for Commander tournaments each week.
When I traveled to the Orlando events last weekend, many players were packing Commander decks. Trade binders were stocked with format staples, and players regularly referenced their Commanders, the impact of New Phyrexia cards on Commander, or commissioned 3D artwork of their favorite Legend.
The summer is coming.
In previous articles, I have noted the grassroots efforts that resulted in the initial growth within the Commander community. On this very site, there are several weekly writers cranking out Commander content. You hear about the format on Twitter (hash tags #CMDR or #EDH), there are articles about the format on every major Magic website, and folks can be found playing at nearly every—if not every—event.
At this point, it might seem like I am preaching to the choir. You are the readership, and you are likely well-versed in the explosion of the format. However, I still think players are underestimating the reach and growth potential of the Little Casual Format That Could. At a few stores, the turnout for Commander dwarfs Friday Night Magic. Think about the stores and local play hotspots you frequent. Do you have more players playing Commander than Legacy? Are more folks flipping their hundred-card decks than building draft decks? Three years ago, it was not close. Now, there might be a minority who answered both questions in favor of the casual format.
What Can We Do to Prepare for the Commander Summer?
There are several sites that have taken to offering discounts for folks who purchase the entire set of Commander preconstructed products. Each deck will run a player approximately $29.99. You can choose from Heavenly Inferno, Mirror Mastery, Counterpunch, Political Puppets, or Devour for Power (my personal favorite). If you order the set of five, you might be able to land the decks from the high $130s to the lower $140s. Six months ago, owning six fully functional Commander decks would run a player substantially more than $140. I have built some decks on a budget that were challenging to complete under a C-note. This reduction in the financial barrier to entry into the format should open a floodgate of new players who will be looking to modify the preconstructed decks.
Customizable card games are—well, customizable. They offer players a chance to spice up the mundane preconstructed decks with individual decisions and flair. Wizards has demonstrated its willingness to pack awesome cards into their precon offerings. The upcoming event decks house two copies of Stoneforge Mystic. That is a fantastic value for the initial $20 investment. When you survey the offerings over the last year, we have seen foil planeswalkers, chase rares, and Legacy staples in the sealed product. It stands to reason that Wizards will do the same with Commander decks.
The fact that great cards are sure to appear in the new decks informs players to take a couple of actions. I am going to buy a copy of each deck and keep it sealed for my collection. I will also crack a few of the decks to supplement my card pool. There are going to be cards that make the value of some of your previous staples crash a bit, but there are going to be plenty of staples that will not appear in the lists.
I speculate that Commander players should be buying up format staples that will become increasingly valued and popular with the release of the new decks. Because card players seek customization, any number of format staples will rise in demand. The tricky part of the speculation is the wild-card aspect of the preconstructed deck lists. You might want to begin assembling copies of Genesis, Sol Ring, or Sensei's Divining Top. These cards appear in a majority of the Commander decks that can run them, but may also make the list in the preconstructed decks. I don’t want to bury a fortune speculating that Doubling Season (a roughly $20 card) will increase in demand and value, only to see it populate the starting lineup of the preconstructed decks. Over the long term, your investment might be safe, but in the short term, you might be out greater than 50% of your seed money.
Therefore, you might want to play it conservative and wait until the lists are spoiled. I imagine that some cards are going to seriously jump as they become obvious fits for customized decks, while others will become commonplace. Swords to Plowshares is a good, parallel example. Prior to the printing of the Tezzeret vs. Elspeth duel deck, you almost never saw Swords in casual trade binders. Sure, folks might have one hanging out from back in the proverbial day, but it was rare. These days, you are likely to run across the card with its new art. The same applies for Daze and other cards that were previously popular and printed in WotC’s precon offerings. I am sure the value on those cards dipped a little, but they are still great and held some value. Both the newer versions and older versions maintain playability and worth.
Casual folks might simply wait for the release of the new decks, while others might jump the gun and buy speculatively. The most effective strategy might be to preemptively develop a “hot list” of Commander staples. Wait until the deck lists are spoiled, and then buy up some copies of staples that made the hot list but did not appear in the preconstructed decks. You just might be among a large number of folks who have already thought of this idea.
Aside from picking up format staples, I imagine that folks might want to experiment building decks with new generals in addition to the preconstructed ideas promoted by Wizards. We will wrap up this article looking at the deck list I have prepared for Karador, Ghost Chieftain.
Building with Karador, Ghost Chieftain 
Before we jump into the deck contents, I would like to have a brief discussion about Commander deck lists. Looking over a hundred-card constructed deck of singleton picks can be a little overwhelming. At first, the decks look totally random and offer little comfort to folks attempting to comprehend the deck construction goals, card choices, and overall playability of the build. It is easy for folks to scan a list, look for their favorite cards, and initially critique “obvious” exclusions. I began a YouTube channel dedicated to the Commander format because I was largely dissatisfied with the initial ability of folks to write about and explain Commander decks in a lucid way.
In the hopes of avoiding some of the pitfalls that players face when posting Commander decks online, I will attempt to “chunk” cards thematically so that the readership might understand my deck design, card choices, and win conditions. It is easy to see how a player could look over the list, dismiss Phyrexian Devourer or Molten-Tail Masticore, and replace them with “better” cards without realizing their important role in one of the deck’s win conditions. With that stated, let’s take a look at some of the themes and cards that might modify the upcoming preconstructed commander decks:
Deck-Construction Objectives
This deck aims to use the themes of self-milling, tutoring, and recursion with undercurrents of mana-ramp and acceleration to achieve a number of interesting game states and ultimately achieve a powerful win condition. If you like sixty-card constructed decks like Legacy’s Reanimator and Dredge, or Extended’s Necrotic Ooze combo, you might like this style of deck.
Cards That Ramp Mana or Provide Acceleration
Many of these cards are self-explanatory. We are running , so we can lean on some of the very best in Magic acceleration. Primeval Titan is becoming a house in Commander. I have adjusted the power level of this deck downward by breaking up the incredible synergy of Primeval Titan, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Cabal Coffers, and Exsanguinate. If you want to build a more cutthroat version, those four cards work well to destroy a multiplayer table in short order.
Life from the Loam has synergy with the graveyard themes and recursion, and allows us to stabilize our three-color mana base while dredging as needed. Solemn Simulacrum plays nice with Deadwood Treefolk, Reveillark, Genesis, and Karmic Guide. These cards work well with the other themes in the deck and add to the playability.
Cards That Fill the Graveyard and Use It Like a Second Hand
The deck loves to fill up its graveyard with lands and interesting creatures in hopes of reanimating the dead for fun and glory. Again, this deck is not trying to be ultracompetitive. I have intentionally excluded land-destruction cards like Strip Mine and Wasteland, and have no hopes of locking opponents out of land with Crucible of Worlds recursions. Rather, I hope to fill up the graveyard with lands through Dredge or Mesmeric Orb that I might play like a second hand. There are cards in the deck that bring creatures back to the hand or field, and cards that let you select specific creatures who might like to make the trip to grave and back. Living Death is a fun win condition.
Other Kill Conditions
The Necrotic Ooze combos in both Extended and Legacy are interesting. This combo gives you a chance to kill one or two people per game when it is assembled correctly. Unhindered, you can do some wild things with the Ooze combo pieces. Players can assemble the pieces they need through tutors, dredge, and recursion. You might want to practice with the deck a few times to get the sequencing down so you don’t bore your opponents with your complicated interactions.
Search and Destroy
Search
Destroy
Simply put, you will be able to search up the cards you need and handle the threats that your opponents throw your way. There is a good amount of redundancy for each type of effect to add to the deck’s playability and consistency. You have some flexibility here, but this has been a good start. After winning a couple of tournaments, I have considered including fewer tutors and more card draw. You make your own calls if you try this sort of build.
Card Draw and Trimmings
The deck has a few ways to draw cards in addition to removal and tutors. Lightning Greaves makes your threats hasty and protected, and we splashed in a few epic creatures who fit the theme. I began work on this deck prior to the release of New Phyrexia and would like to play-test Sheoldred. Melira, Sylvok Outcast could be another inclusion that could be a reasonable protection from poison decks—she synergizes with Woodfall Primus and the addition of Greater Good, but does not play well with the Ooze combo pieces.
Mana Bases Are Boring
I run thirty-four lands in this build. You basically drop in lands that give you all three colors in the deck, then the ones that give you both without coming into play tapped, then some specialty lands, and finally some basics. I currently run all of the fetch lands and the original duals, but folks could build effective mana bases for a lot cheaper given the multitude of land options.
Not-So-Boring Choices
Some of the nonbasic lands in this deck can be quite expensive. It should be noted that the deck runs fine with the exclusion of cards like Bazaar of Baghdad. I just happened to have those cards and felt they fit the theme. I like to sling my pimp cardboard when I can, but the deck can function on a more budget-friendly mana base.
Summer Is Coming
I imagine that players will be cracking open the preconstructed decks and eventually looking to modify and optimize their builds. These colors are great and appeal to a wide variety of players. Whether you want to transform your old Teneb deck into a Karador deck, or feel that Doran needs a rest, you will be able to do a number of awesome things with the cards in this sample list.
Netdecking in Commander can be a great way to get a start, but few players are satisfied with the choices and level of competitiveness with builds they find on the Internet. Take this list with a grain of proverbial salt. If you like it, run it. If you don’t like some of the features, cut them out and put in something you love. The most important step is the part where you take your cards and have some fun. Make the deck your own and enjoy the Commander Summer that is fast approaching.
